Grip handler

ABSTRACT

The invention concerns an independent grip handle ( 1, 1 A) designed to co operate with at least a grip element ( 6 ) such as a linkage, strap, bail or banding strip of an object ( 7, 7 A) or a part of the object itself. The invention is characterised in that it consists of a cylindrical body ( 2 ) closed on itself in a common plane (P) and elastically deformable, on either side thereof, to define an opening ( 3 ) to allow through a user&#39;s hand ( 4 ), while providing between its two opposite end zones ( 8  and  9 ), a reserved space ( 5 ) with variable dimension e.

[0001] The present invention relates to an independent handling grip forcooperating with at least one gripping component, such as a tie, astrap, a handle, a band for encircling an object or a portion of theactual object.

[0002] A grip of this type has already been described in French patentapplication No. 99 07343 filed by the applicant.

[0003] Such a grip is intended for facilitating transport and limitingfatigue as well as pain due to the fact of carrying several bags.

[0004] For this, the grip has a cylindrical section and is provided witha passage for inserting any type of product provided with a transportstrap or a plastic band acting as a strap, therein.

[0005] This type of grip known and described in the aforementionedapplication, was also intended for cooperating with an elastic wire inthe boot of an automobile vehicle, stretched between two supports fixedon either side of the latter, in order to hang up the grips thereinafter having inserted the handles or straps of bags into the latter.

[0006] Practice has shown that the use of these grips was in factrelatively limited, because, as they were produced by molding in a stiffmaterial, the space reserved for the passage of the straps led to alimitation of the thickness of the latter, and did not allow insertionof component portions to be conveyed, with a larger thickness than saidspace.

[0007] The object of the present invention is to specifically find aremedy to this drawback by providing a grip allowing for a large rangeof thicknesses of a tie, strap or handle of an object to be carried, oreven of a portion of this same object, and this without increasing thedimensions of the space reserved for the grip.

[0008] For this purpose, the invention relates to an independenthandling grip for cooperating with at least one gripping component suchas a tie, a strap, a handle, an encircling band of an object or of aportion of the actual object, characterized in that it consists of acylindrical body closed on itself in a same plane and elasticallydeformable, on either side of the latter, in order to define a clearopening for the hand of an user, while creating between its two endareas facing each other, a reserved space of variable dimension “e”, inorder to allow, either the introduction of the gripping component of theobject to be carried into said grip, without any deformation of thelatter, if it has a thickness compatible with “e”, that of the reservedspace, or the introduction of a gripping component with a largerthickness than “e” of said reserved space, by elastically deforming saidgrip on either side of its plane and by exerting a torsion of the latterto cause a shift of said end areas defining the space.

[0009] The present invention also relates to features, which will becomeapparent during the description which follows, and which should eitherbe considered individually or according to all their possible technicalcombinations.

[0010] This description given as a non limiting example will providebetter understanding on how the invention may be produced, withreference to the appended drawings wherein:

[0011]FIG. 1 illustrates a plane view of a handling grip according tothe invention.

[0012]FIG. 2 illustrates a side view according to FIG. 1.

[0013]FIG. 3 illustrates a top view according to FIG. 1.

[0014]FIG. 4 is a plane view of a handling grip according to onealternative embodiment.

[0015]FIG. 5 is a side view according to FIG. 4, and FIG. 6 is a topview according to FIG. 4.

[0016]FIG. 7 is a transverse sectional view along the VII-VII line ofFIG. 1.

[0017]FIG. 8 is a sectional view along the VIII-VIII line of FIG. 3.

[0018]FIG. 9 is a side view according to FIG. 8, and FIG. 10 is a topview according to FIG. 8.

[0019]FIG. 11 is a plane view of a grip according to FIG. 4, into whichhandles of bags have been inserted, which have a thickness not largerthan the space reserved for the grip,

[0020]FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a grip according to FIG. 1,elastically deformed in order to allow the passage of a strap or anobject with a larger dimension than the reserved space.

[0021]FIGS. 13 and 14 illustrate the gripping of an object, the strapsof which are of larger dimensions than the reserved space, duringinsertion of the grip and after insertion of the latter respectively.

[0022]FIGS. 15 and 16 illustrate according to another example ofapplication, the gripping of an object, the straps of which are oflarger dimensions than the reserved space, during insertion of the gripand after insertion of the latter respectively.

[0023]FIG. 17 illustrates an example of application of several gripsaccording to the invention, suitable for conveying, in a car boot via anelastic wire positioned between both side walls of the latter.

[0024] The independent handling grip globally designated by 1 on all theFIGS. 1-12, consists of a cylindrical body 2 closed on itself in a sameplane P and elastically deformable, on either side of the latter, inorder to define a clear opening 3 for the hand 4 of a user, whilecreating between its two end areas 8 and 9, facing each other, areserved space 5, of variable dimension “e”, this in order to alloweither the introduction of the gripping component 6, 6A, 6B of object 7,7A to be carried into said grip 1, 1A, without any deformation of thelatter, if it has a thickness compatible with, that of the reservedspace 5, or the introduction of a gripping component 6 with a largerthickness than “e”, that of said reserved space 5, by elasticallydeforming said grip 1, 1A on either side of its plane P and exertingtorsion TT′ on the latter in order to cause a shift of said end areas 8,9 defining the space 5.

[0025] The cylindrical body 2 may be solid and obtained by molding anelastically deformable material.

[0026] However, preferentially, the cylindrical body 2 is hollow, andconsists of two symmetrical shells 2A, 2B, joined together by theirjoint plane P and simultaneously deforming elastically.

[0027] In this case, the shells 2A, 2B forming the cylindrical body 2are centered with respect to each other, by a lip 10 made over theentire periphery of the joint plane P of one shell, 2A, cooperating witha matching groove 11 of the other one 2B by interlocking.

[0028] According to another feature of the invention, shells 2A, 2Bforming the cylindrical body 2 are positively joined together via aplurality of elastically deformable hooks 12, 13, made two by two, so asto face each other, in a head to tail configuration, within each of theshells 2A, 2B at different positions of the latter, so as to cooperatewith each other by elastic locking upon assembly, making said shellsindissociable.

[0029] According to this exemplary embodiment (FIG. 10), there are sixhooks 12 and 13.

[0030] In fact, each of the internal hooks 12 forms at its end abeaklike projection 14 having a sliding ramp 16 able to cooperate, uponassembly, with the ramp 17 of the beaklike projection 15 of a facinghook 13, in order to have them move away from each other during assemblyand engage with each other when the joint planes P of shells 2A, 2B comeinto contact with each another.

[0031] Moreover, each of the shells 2A, 2B includes internal centeringmeans, formed on the one hand, by a plurality of pins 18 made on one ofthe shells 2A, facing a matching number of barrels (not shown) made onthe other shell 2B.

[0032] According to the present example (FIG. 10), the pins 18 are fourin number, and of course, they match a matching number of barrels.

[0033] In order to prevent the parts from deforming under a certainstress, a plurality of internal reinforcing crossbars 19 (FIG. 10) isproduced on each of the shells 2A, 2B.

[0034] According to the present exemplary embodiment (FIG. 10), thereinforcing crossbars 19 are seven in number.

[0035] Advantageously, the centering lips and grooves 10, 11, theassembly hooks 12, 13, the centering pins and barrels 18, as well as thereinforcing crossbars 19, are obtained during a same molding operationfor each respective shell 2A, 2B.

[0036] According to another feature of the invention, the grip 1 on theinternal side of a right portion including the space 5 reserved forintroducing the gripping components 6, 6A, 6B, includes ergonomicimprints 20 for four of a user's fingers, i.e. the forefinger, themiddle finger, the ring finger and the little finger, the thumb beinglocated above when said right portion is accommodated in the palm of thehand of said user.

[0037] According to another feature of the invention, it includes on theinternal side of a right portion parallel to that including the reservedspace 5, rough features 21 having an anti-skid function when the gripcomponent 6, 6A, 6B of one or more objects 7, 7A are introduced into thegrip 1, 1A and when they are conveyed.

[0038] According to another feature of the invention, the shells 2A, 2B,once assembled, globally have the configuration of an isoscelestrapezium for which the α1 and α2 angles of the large base B aretruncated, one of these truncated angles from one of the shells 2Aextending with a lug 22 formed by two plane walls 24, 25, defining ahousing 23 for introducing a cart token or a wire connecting severalgrips with each other.

[0039] With such a design of a grip in two elastically deformableportions, both shells 2A, 2B may be prevented by means of centering pins18, from sliding one over the other as soon as there is a certainweight.

[0040] The reinforcing ribs 19 as for them, prevent deformation of thegrip under a certain stress. The tests have demonstrated that the hooks12, 13 made so as to face each other on the shells 2A, 2B, enable thelatter to remain interdependent up to a load of more than 50 kg.

[0041] As is shown in FIG. 17, according to a particular example ofapplication, the grips 1A provided with a lug 22 and therefore with ahousing 23 allow the passage of an elastic wire 28, positioned on eitherside of an automobile vehicle boot, via two supports 26 and 27. Thegrips 1A may thereby receive the gripping components 6, for example ofthe plastic bags filled with miscellaneous objects, this providing theadvantage of limiting the movements of the latter when conveyed in anautomobile vehicle, and thus preventing them from spreading about in theboot. In order to pick up the bags from the boot again, it is sufficientto release the elastic wire 28 and to grip each of the grips 1A with thebags, which it supports in order to transfer them from one place toanother simultaneously.

1. An independent handling grip (1, 1A) for cooperating with at leastone gripping component (6) such as a tie, a strap, a handle, anencircling band of an object (7, 7A) or a portion of the object itself,characterized in that it consists of a cylindrical body (2) closed onitself in a same plane (P) and elastically deformable on either side ofthe latter, in order to define a clear opening (3) for the hand (4) of auser, while creating between its two end areas (8 and 9), facing eachother, a reserved space (5) with a variable “e” dimension, so as toallow, either the introduction of the gripping component (6, 6A, 6B) ofthe object (7, 7A) to be carried, into said grip (1, 1A), withoutdeforming the latter, if it has a thickness compatible with “e”, that ofthe reserved space (5), or the introduction of a gripping component (6)with a larger thickness than “e”, that of said reserved space (5), byelastically deforming said grip (1, 1A) on either side of its plane (P)and exerting torsion (TT′) on the latter, to cause a shift of said endareas (8, 9) defining the space (5).
 2. The grip according to claim 1,characterized in that the cylindrical body (2) is solid and is obtainedby molding an elastically deformable material.
 3. The grip according toclaim 1, characterized in that the cylindrical body (2) is hollow andconsists of two symmetrical shells (2A, 2B), joined together throughtheir joint plane (P) and simultaneously deforming elastically.
 4. Thegrip according to claim 3, characterized in that the shells (2A, 2B)forming the cylindrical body (2) are centered relatively to each otherby a lip (10) made over the entire periphery of the joint plane (P) ofone of them (2A) cooperating with a matching groove (11) of the other(2B), by interlocking.
 5. The grip according to claim 3 or 4,characterized in that the shells (2A, 2B) forming the cylindrical body(2) are positively joined together via a plurality of elasticallydeformable hooks (12, 13) made two by two, facing each other, in a headto tail configuration, within each of the shells (2A, 2B) at differentpositions of the latter, so as to cooperate together by elastic lockingupon assembly, making said shells indissociable.
 6. The grip accordingto claim 5, characterized in that each of the internal hooks (12) formsat its end, a beaklike projection (14) having a sliding ramp (16) ableto cooperate with the ramp (17) of the spoiler (15) of a facing hook(13) upon assembly, so as to have them move away from each other duringassembly and engage with each other when the joint planes (P) of theshells (2A, 2B) come into contact with each other.
 7. The grip accordingto any of claims 3 to 5, characterized in that each of the shells (2A,2B) includes internal centering means consisting on the one hand of aplurality of pins (18) made on one of the shells (2A), facing a numberof matching barrels (not shown), made on the other shell (2B).
 8. Thegrip according to any of claims 3 to 6, characterized in that aplurality of internal reinforcing crossbars (19) is made on each of theshells (2A, 2B).
 9. The grip according to any of claims 4 to 8,characterized in that, the centering lips and grooves (10, 11), theassembly hooks (12, 13), the centering pins and barrels (18), as well asthe reinforcing crossbars (19), are obtained during a same moldingoperation for each respective shell (2A, 2B).
 10. The grip according toany of the preceding claims, characterized in that it includes on theinternal side of a right portion including the reserved space (5) forintroducing the grip components (6, 6A, 6B), ergonomic imprints (20) forfour of a user's fingers, i.e., the forefinger, the middle finger, thering finger, and the little finger, the thumb being located above whensaid right portion is accommodated in the palm of the hand of said user.11. The grip according to any of the preceding claims, characterized inthat it includes on the internal side of a right portion parallel tothat including the reserved space (5), rough features (21) having ananti-skid function when the gripping components (6, 6A, 6B) of one ormore objects (7, 7A) are introduced into the grip (1, 1A) and when theyare conveyed.
 12. The grip according to any of claims 3 to 11,characterized in that the shells (2A, 2B), once assembled, globally havethe configuration of an isosceles trapezium for which the angles (α1 andα2) of the large base (B) are truncated, each of these truncated anglesfrom one of the shells (2A) extending with a lug (22) formed by twoplane walls (24, 25) defining a housing (23) for introducing a carttoken or a wire connecting several grips with each other.